Winter Weather Illness Poses Special Problems

JOLIET – Chicagoland Winters can be great for outdoor enthusiasts and hot chocolate lovers, but the cold weather months can be difficult if people fail to take appropriate health and safety precautions. Winter weather illness can pose special problems. Recognizing symptoms and common sense can help you to avoid potentially serious issues in the cold and snow.

Community Wide Planning and Coordination

Unlike the seasonal flu, a pandemic flu virus poses a unique threat. Since humans have no previously developed immunity against pandemic flu, this new virus strain puts most people at high risk of infection. The result could be that a large percentage of the world's population becomes infected in a very short period of time.

Local health departments like the WCHD and its Emergency Preparedness Division are responsible for community wide planning for an outbreak of an influenza pandemic. The Will County Health Department has developed a pandemic influenza plan for the county and conducts training meetings and exercises with other agencies to build response capabilities. The department also conducts routine disease surveillance activities which can assist in forecasting and monitoring outbreaks of disease. If an outbreak of pandemic influenza should occur, the WCHD will work closely with other Will County emergency agencies, regional partners and the State of Illinois to manage and distribute antiviral supplies and vaccines, along with carrying out other public health, medical and emergency services.

No new cases reported since May 17; three additional H7N9 fatalities confirmed.

The Chinese suspended emergency responses in the areas affected by H7N9 May 28, but health officials from 15 countries spanning three continents remain keenly interested in measures capable of thwarting a potential pandemic.

Just one new case and two fatalities from May 17-31.

There is good news and less than encouraging information regarding the H7N9 avian flu virus. On the positive side, Chinese health authorities reported just one new case of human infection and two fatalities from May 17-31.

Authorities from across the globe are closely monitoring the situation.

So far, there is no evidence of sustained human-to-human virus transmission, but health authorities from across the globe are closely monitoring the situation. On April 28, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said his government would continue to cooperate with international health organizations, release information openly, and work to promote public awareness of the virus

Influenza Has Peaked According to the CDC

According to the CDC, the influenza outbreak that was so widespread during much of the winter has peaked and activity has decreased in most parts of the U.S. During the latest reporting period (the week ending March 3-9), there were no states reporting high influenza-like activity. According to the latest Overview of Influenza Surveillance in the United States, Illinois has gone from reporting high flu incidence to reporting only localized outbreaks.

The United States is having an early flu season with most of the country now experiencing high levels of influenza-like-illness but the news is not all bad; while some key indicators of flu activity continued to increase, others declined. According to the CDC however, it is too soon to signal that the worst of the epidemic is over.